UK Bank Holiday travel chaos as motorists warned about 'double delays'

Drivers could face "double delays" this Bank Holiday weekend with millions set to hit the road in the coming days. The RAC and transport analysts at INRIX have warned there is the possibility road users will face a "double dose of delays" with heavy traffic on Friday and Saturday.

The start of the Bank Holiday weekend is when most leisure trips will be made by car, with 3.4million expected to hit the roads. A further 2.7million road users are expected to travel on Sunday (May 25) with three million then heading back on Bank Holiday Monday. It means UK motorists will embark on more than 17.9million road trips over the weekend with major routes tipped to be busy. RAC Mobile Mechanic Aaron Bryan said: "Our research shows it really is best to leave as early or late as possible this Bank Holiday weekend, as the majority of motorists are planning to set off in the morning.

"While Devon and Cornwall remain some of the most popular destinations for summer getaways, many other major routes across the country could be hit by increased traffic – not least the M25 which so many drivers use to reach the coast and the South East.

"These stretches are likely to be equally as busy on Friday May 30 when drivers use the same roads for return journeys.”

According to an analysis from the RAC, the worst time to travel on Friday is likely between 10am and 8pm. Roads will be busiest between 9am and 4pm on Saturday with 11am to 2pm predicted to see the heaviest delays on Sunday.

The RAC has suggested that setting off between 11am and 6pm could be risky on Monday and is among the "worst times to travel".

Instead, drivers have been encouraged to set off early to beat the queues on some of the UK’s most popular routes.

A majority (68%) of drivers have claimed they are likely to head off somewhere between 5am and 12pm.

However, 14% have plans for a super early start and could leave their houses between 5am and 8am in the morning.